Calm Before the Storm
by djgondra
Summary: Post Twilight Princess.  Sometimes a choice made on a whim isn't as great as you would have expected it to be.  In this case, a friendship is damaged because of a simple decision.  Reviews greatly appreciated.
1. Beautifully Ugly

Chapter 0—Beautifully Ugly

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Link stood miserably in front of the now-dead Ganondorf, who had unexpectedly died standing. He even stood at an angle, which made you think that at any moment now, he was going to fall over. But the corpse continued to defy the average person's idea of physics. In fact, the posture that the villain stood at would have made you hope that he would somehow turn to stone, creating a magnificent statue to remember the time that twilight intersected with light.

Twilight.

It pained Link when he thought of those words. Someone that he held dearly as a friend was from a realm that was covered by twilight. Where she was now was beyond Link; his best guess was that she was…

Blotting out the final word of his thought, Link decided to gaze into the sunset, hoping to find comfort in it; in his younger years, he often did. The colors that swirled through the clouds were dazzling. Soft shades of orange, pink and white filled the sky. In his opinion, this was probably the most beautiful sunset he had ever laid eyes upon. However, in his current state of mind, he found it to also be the most dreadful.

As Link looked on in sorrow, he noticed that the hillside wasn't perfectly rounded; in a sense, there seemed to be a faint lump sticking out of its tip.

While he tried to focus his vision on whatever the lump was, an illuminating flash flew across the horizon, temporarily blinding him. The light spirits that he had worked hard to restore all floated around the tip of the hill in a fashion that made him realize that they were surrounding the lump. As his vision began to restore itself, the light spirits started fading away.

Rather than try to get a view from where he was now, Link started walking toward the object. Zelda, whom he paid little heed to in the moments that had passed, remained static. He guessed that she was looking at the would-be statue of Ganondorf.

The hill was significantly steeper than Link had hoped. However, his attention was still glued to the item at the peak. As he drew closer to it, his mind came to the strangest of thoughts: What if it was her at the top? Even though Link himself had shrugged off the idea, his mind would not let go of it. As much as he kept telling himself that it was not true, the thought of it exhilarated Link.

"Who else could it be?" Link thought out loud. "I'm pretty sure the light spirits wouldn't pay a visit to a lonely rock."

A feeling of enlightenment rushed through Link's body, and it was so powerful that he could not contain it anymore. As though his body had somehow began creating more adrenaline and was handing out samples to all his muscles was the very brief comparative of his sudden burst of energy. He began running as fast as he could, hoping that his wish would miraculously come true. His legs burned and protested against the sudden movement—his battle with Ganondorf wasn't exactly a routine exercise.

As the summit came in to full view, Link's high hopes plummeted as he found a pile of black robes on the grassy hill. His face fell, and he stared at the ground hard.

"Of course, this is always what happens when you have such expectations..." Link mumbled to himself. His mind wandered, filling with thoughts of his adventure. It had started with him not having a say in the whole thing. It had started with him being beaten and imprisoned. It had started with… the most annoying creature he had ever come across. She was incredibly selfish, and she was also impatient with everything he ever did. She pushed him around, yelled at him, and even picked on him with sarcastic jokes about his personal life. But in the end, she was his companion, and they had to work together if they wanted anything from their quest.

This alone was enough motivation for Link to continue working with her. Everything that he had grown to love was going to be taken away by someone he had never even _heard_ of. Ignoring the rants and complaints of his comrade, he pushed himself to keep going.

Link had told himself in his thoughts that he would actually _enjoy_ seeing her die someday. When was the last time she did something for him? If she wasn't going to risk her life for him, he sure as hell wasn't going to do the same. Yet, when he was faced with this very prospect of letting her die, he couldn't do something remotely near that.

In the weeks that had passed in his travels, he grew somewhat attached to his companion. He learned that her sarcastic jokes were not meant to cause harm. In fact, Link started joking back with her. He caught on with the trend and started throwing his own sardonic cracks of humor at her.

At this point in time, Link realized that he was laughing in his journeys—the last thing he expected to do. If he let her die, he might not laugh as much as he did again. If he let her die, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He couldn't let her die; he couldn't let his _friend—_Midna­—die here. The thought continued to fill Link's mind; he realized that back then, he had the choice to let her live. It was something that could be taken for granted. But now, here he stood helpless, unable to do anything in the slightest to save her once more. The feeling of powerlessness brought a single tear to Link's eyes.

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Blackness.

Simplicity in its greatest form, this was all that surrounded her vision. However, vision was not the only thing that was feeling this sensation. There was no noise, no smell, and there was nothing to feel.

Midna sighed. She imagined the after-life to be a bit more dramatic, perhaps even scary, but this was more than… anti-climactic. She guessed that one thing was for sure: this wasn't heaven.

_But then again, I've technically already been to heaven_, _and it wasn't very special either, _Midna thought, snickering a bit. Analyzing the situation, Midna spun around multiple times hoping to find anything, but to no avail. She looked at her hands, and they were the same, diminutive pitchforks from before.

Sighing to herself, Midna thought, _Well, it sure is depressing to have to be ugly in death._ _What would the other souls think!_

Midna performed an overly dramatized fainting motion, regardless of the fact that no one was around to see. Pondering what she had just said, she realized that there were no other souls or other such dead beings in her presence. Before she could think about this thought any more, a bright flash of light illuminated the portion of the blackness that would have been the sky. During that short period of time, Midna realized that she was in fact standing on solid ground, despite the fact that she couldn't feel or see it otherwise.

Looking up from the ground, Midna saw the light spirits of Hyrule descend from the sky. They floated in front of her, forcing her to cover her eyes that were oh-so sensitive to light. They seemed to stay there for a short while before Midna broke the annoying silence that she had been enduring for too long.

"Hey, could you turn down the lights a bit? I'm not exactly used to staring at multiple suns at the same time." She glowered. Ignoring her remark, the spirits began talking in their tone that made everyone else's voice sound like southern accents.

"We have come to repay a debt. We are most grateful of your services toward us, and we feel it is only fair for us to grant you a second chance at life."

Midna's heart jumped. So she really _was_ dead—but if that was the case, where was she now? Shrugging her curiosity off, Midna looked back up to the light spirits with a smug look. "Are you sure you want to do that? Us Twili can get pretty rough with you light world types. I could go about rampaging through Hyrule if I felt like it!"

Once again ignoring her sarcastic remark, all four light spirits put their heads together and started charging what seemed to be one giant ball of light. Growing to about ten times Midna's size, the light slowly started to engulf her, and warmth flowed through her veins. For a few seconds, the world around her that was once complete darkness was filled with light.

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Link sat down on the ground, continuing his reminiscing. The temporary bliss was just enough to fill the imaginary hole in his chest. Tears were welling up in his eyes, and he considered letting them stroll down his muddy face. _Nobody will see… nobody will care._

Right as Link told his eyes to give in, the robes on the ground suddenly flew up, as though an invisible figure suddenly donned them. Link stood up, blood rushing to his head, blurring everything in sight. As his vision returned, he saw the most beautiful (and probably the most unique) looking woman he had ever laid eyes upon. It was twice today that he had seen the most beautiful things! The fading light in the background seemed to embellish her already near-perfect features. The robes that she was garbed in were a silky black, with obsidian being the only color comparable to it. Only her skin was able to surpass the robe's elegance—its smooth surface would have fooled anybody into thinking it was made of satin. The strange colors of it were also abnormal. Switching from dark blue to white randomly across her skin, it was an extremely exotic look. Not quite as exotic as her glowing orange hair, which came down her neck in two parts, tied together near her chest.

Link gaped at the woman. She seemed to find humor in this, and said immediately, "What? Say something! Am I so beautiful that you have no words left?"

With that, Link suddenly realized who this was. The burst of energy he had received before returned, and he reached out and hugged Midna as tightly as he could. At first, she was surprised by the action, but she returned it affectionately when she realized what he had just gone through. Deciding it was time to poke some fun, Midna whispered into Link's ear, "Did I see you crying for the first time ever?"

Pulling away from her, Link jeered, "Well, that whole appearing out of nowhere made a lot of dust fly through the air."

Giggling slightly, Midna poked Link on the forehead. "Aww, did Link miss me so much that he needed to kick up dust just so he could start crying?"

"Ha! I think I would have been better off without meeting you in the first place. This whole adventure was so tiresome with you around."

"You enjoyed my company and you know it."

Link acted as though he were in deep thought. "Fine, I guess it wasn't _that_ bad." Once more, Midna started giggling again, but her face soon turned serious. "Since I'm back in this form, that means that Ganondorft is dead?"

Nodding slowly, Link replied, "Yeah. If you want to see him, he's down the hill. Speaking of which, Zelda is probably wondering what I've been doing up here."

Midna began walking down the hill, beckoning for Link to follow. "I have quite the story to tell you. I'll have you know that I was actually dead for quite a while, and it was the most boring thing I have ever experienced!" She continued her rambling about her whole story, but Link wasn't paying too much attention. The sun was just about to go past the horizon, preparing for a true twilit sky. Gazing at it once more, Link decided that this _was_ in fact the most beautiful sunset he'd ever laid eyes upon.


	2. On a Whim

Chapter 1—On a Whim

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The walk down the hill was pleasant enough, other than the fact that his arms and legs felt like they were being dragged down by obese children with forks. Link finally started tuning in to what Midna had to say: It came as a surprise to him when he caught up with her story, to find out that she had actually been _dead._ This made him feel a twang of guilt in his gut; he had, after all, come to that same conclusion earlier.

As they reached the spot where Ganondorf still stood, they found Zelda to be standing in the same position as when Link had left her. Her expression was soft, with an almost noticeable sense of surprise in her eyes. She scanned Midna from head to toe, taking in the rare scenery. "I see that you have returned safely, Midna."

Midna looked into Zelda's eyes with warmth, abruptly turning to Link with a look of complacence. "I don't think I'm too safe around this hero of yours. He keeps eyeing me as though I'm ugly or something!"

Link's face fell, but with good-humor spread across it. "The secret's out!" He made a motion that resembled running away, but Midna grabbed his collar and pulled him back. Link started snickering to himself, and it made Midna smile to see that he was in high spirits.

Zelda looked up at the sky, taking in the last of the sunlight. "I believe it is time that we headed to the Arbiter's Grounds. I'm sure you have much work to do at your kingdom."

Midna sighed, the realization of returning home finally hitting her with full force. Link frowned. "Oh, come on! You just barely got here and you have to leave already? Can't you just stick around for a few more hours?"

Midna shook her head, gazing into Link's hurt eyes. "I'm sorry, but your princess is right. There is a lot of work left unfinished in my kingdom, and putting it off won't help either of us; it's just best if I get it done as quickly as possible."

Link also sighed, and then put on a slight smile. "Fine, but you have to visit as soon as you have free time, okay?"

Midna fell silent. She looked from Link to Zelda, then replied, "Yes, sometime… soon."

The trio huddled around Midna in a manner that would have looked silly from far away, and the familiar dark particles began to consume their bodies. Their feet were eaten away first, and then the rest of their body disappeared in what would have been quite dazzling to see.

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During her time in "boredom-land" (as she had come to call it), Midna had what seemed like an eternity to think about her next actions. Ideas for her kingdom, reconstruction plans and other such regal manners filled her mind. Her top concern was keeping her citizens as safe as possible. It was her duty to prevent something like Zant from happening again.

At first, she thought of ways to detect an outside intrusion whenever someone used the mirror, but set the idea aside when she realized that if someone that was as powerful as Ganondorf came through again, it would make little difference to just _know_ that he was coming. An increase in military power was also pointless, as Ganondorf was also capable of taking out large numbers of enemies. This would just result in a raised death toll, which would bring her back to her original dilemma.

Many more ideas to keep madmen out of her realm were discarded, until Midna gave up and decided that it was hopeless. Was there no way of safeguarding the mirror? It was as though its very existence was to create trouble for both realms… Midna wished that there were at least _one_ solution to her problem—and suddenly, the solution was right before her, in the form of four simple words.

_It must be destroyed._

Midna gasped, clearing the thought from her mind. Anything was possible if she just set her mind to it; she just needed a little more time to consider her options.

_Perhaps I could consult with Link for help, _she wondered, but realized instantly that it would not be wise. If there truly _was_ no other way than to destroy it, Link would stop at nothing to protect the mirror.

_Is this really the only option?_ Midna bit her lip. _It's not worth it; I have come to love so much in this world. I can't just abandon it—I can't just abandon him._

Tears started to form in Midna's eyes. There _had_ to be another way—a way for her to remain in the world of light. She had worked so hard for the people of both realms, and this was the end result? It wasn't fair.

But the realization hit Midna. _It isn't fair to keep the mirror around. How could I sink so low into thinking that my own petty desires were more important than the lives of my people? I see only selfishness in those needs._

Tears rolled down Midna's cheek, and her decision was made: The mirror must be destroyed. But she would have to keep it a secret; she had to make it seem like she was going to return, so as to not give the slightest hint away to Zelda or Link.

It was what had to be done.

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Arbiter's Grounds looked the same as before—when Link had come to it. Taking in the scenery, Link stretched his arms after their teleporting journey. It seemed that the sun was still illuminating the sky in the desert, which gave an eerie glow to the sand and the stonework around them.

Stepping up to the mirror, Link patted his hand on the back of it as though it were a buddy within his arm. He took one final look at the mirror before turning to both of the princesses, whom were slowly moving toward Link.

Zelda seemed to be nodding her head slightly, and Midna had a plain expression across her face: the usual smirk that she had was missing, and was replaced by expressionless lips. However, he could see that her eyes were sorrowful, as though she were thinking about the most unpleasant of subjects deeply.

Forcing himself to push aside the bad thoughts, Link grinned at Midna, who hesitantly smiled back, and then returned to her thinking face. _She's probably just thinking about her plans for her kingdom too much, _thought Link. _I'll leave her alone for a while._

When the princesses had finally reached the mirror, Midna took position in front of the mirror, while Link and Zelda stood to the side of it.

Midna looked up at the sky; it was the last that she was going to see of the light version. "Well, I guess this is farewell, huh? Shadow and light can't mix, as we all know." Midna continued, looking at Zelda this time. "But… never forget that there is another world bound to this one."

Zelda returned the gaze. "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other." Looking from Link to Midna, Zelda started again, "I know now why the goddesses left the mirror in this world. They left it because it was their design that we should meet… Yes; that is what I believe."

Link analyzed Midna's words carefully. What did she mean that light and shadow couldn't mix? She couldn't possibly mean that she would…

No, she wouldn't do that. She even said that they would meet again soon—it wouldn't be like her to… _destroy_ the mirror. She was too selfish for her own good anyway. Throwing aside these thoughts, Link continued to listen.

"Zelda, your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all of Hyrule are like you… then maybe you'll do all right."

Midna turned toward the mirror and walked up the magical stairs that appeared. This was it… there was no turning back, no regrets, and no painful memories. She reminded herself time and time again: _This is the only way._

As she reached the top of the stairs, Midna thanked both Link and Zelda, and began, "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as the mirror is around, we could meet again…" A single teardrop fell from her cheek, and she slowly made it float toward the mirror.

Link pondered what she had just said again. _It sounds too much like she's going to do it… but can she? Is it a risk worth taking?_ As he thought these words, he saw Midna propelling the teardrop toward the mirror.

_It all makes sense, if you connect the dots. She speaks as though the mirror is a bad thing, and that teardrop doesn't seem like it could serve another purpose._ Link quickly thought this in his head, until he realized that it was now or never. _If that teardrop is capable of doing what I think it can, it may just ruin my life! I have no choice!_

As the teardrop was halfway to the mirror, Link lurched forward.

Midna shrieked, which caused her to propel the teardrop even faster; it was now mere inches from the mirror. _Please make this work! I don't have time…_

Right as she thought of those words, Link was now standing in front of her. His eyes were fierce, but they looked as though they were pleading. Quickly, Midna summoned her magic and pushed Link out of the way. _I'm sorry…_

The light began to engulf her body, and an unfamiliar glow started to surround her: it was unlike the usual dark particles that would transport her. She closed her eyes, and let the light fill her up. _Any moment now…_

With that, there was suddenly a scream.

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Right before Midna had cast him aside with her magic, Link had grabbed on to the nearest thing to him. In his case, it was the flowing robes of Midna, and as he flew away, he brought her with him. He landed with a resounding thud, with Midna screaming as he pulled her down. She was hitting him with her fists, digging her nails into him even. The pain was unbearable as she began to cut flesh, but Link could care less. It was what he wanted...

"_Link, let me go!"_ she yelled as loud as she could, deafening him a little. Link grappled her around the neck and waist, and held her in a lock that would keep her from squirming.

Link closed his eyes. _This is what I want…_

The sound of exploding glass echoed through the coliseum-like Arbiter's Grounds. Midna had stopped wiggling, and Link relaxed a bit.

_It's over…_

They both thought these words, even though each had a wildly different meaning.


	3. Breaking Ice

Chapter 2—Breaking Ice

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Link stood up, placing himself a few feet away from Midna. Her eyes were wide, disbelief crossing her face. She lay on her knees, staring past Link.

_This can't be happening… It can't end like this… My kingdom, my people…_

Link knelt down in front of Midna, looking into her eyes with concern. "Midna? Are you okay?" Midna finally snapped back to reality; she stared back at Link, but this time her eyes were filled with hatred.

There was a difference between this expression and her usual ones. Often times they showed irritation, which in most cases is not very harmful. But this time, it was as though she despised something.

"Do you have _any_ idea of what you've just done?" Midna scowled. Link turned his face to look away. He had been expecting this, and was ready to take it with full force. He had seen the bad part of Midna in the past, but this was going to be her worst.

Standing up, Midna stood in front of Link, yelling mere inches from his face. "What was going through your mind? Did you think I was going to congratulate you on your _outrageous_ act?"

Link stared hard at the ground. He wondered about his actions, asking himself the exact same question. Why _did_ he pull her out of the way?

"I… I felt like it was the only thing I could do. I couldn't just watch you go away… _forever._"

Midna flung her arms into the air, obviously unmoved by his words. "Well, I commend you on your courageous acts. This is going to be fun—I just know it. Goodbye, life of riches and glamour, and hello life of mere peasantry with these grotesque-looking light creatures."

Link took offense to her final words. "Oh, ugly, are we? I'm surprised you didn't _puke_ during our whole journey. Besides, I didn't even know you would be able to live a life of royalty, what with the way you act!"

Midna began stomping around, sand flying through the air. "My people think of me highly, I'll have you know. I've spent all my life trying to make their lives easier, to protect them, to give them food and water, and now I'm stuck here. What are they going to do without a leader? There's nobody next in line in our royal blood. They will soon fall into disarray, and I'm sure wars will break out just so they can decide on a new king, queen or whatever! Can somebody please tell my why this is going to happen?"

Link grabbed his cap and threw it on the ground. "Because the hideous green hero decided he would stop his friend from leaving. I guess I was wrong about that; go ahead and sulk in a corner for all I care."

Link turned around and headed for the entrance to the Arbiter's Grounds. Zelda held a hand to her forehead, shaking it in disapproval.

Tears were strolling down Midna's cheeks uncontrollably. Deep inside, she couldn't stand doing things like this to Link, but anger overtook her senses.

_What he did was selfish._ It was all that was going through her mind.

Outraged, she used her powers to trip Link. He fell over, dust flying as he hit the ground. Acting as though nothing had happened, he picked himself up and continued at his quick pace towards the entryway. Clearly Midna still hadn't gotten enough satisfaction from his fall, so she summoned another spell, teleporting Link away; the black particles began to consume him, and he could be seen with his middle finger in the air right before his upper half disappeared.

Zelda turned towards Midna, sighing to herself. "You know that was completely unnecessary." Midna turned away, staring at the hat Link left behind.

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Link landed with little noise. It wasn't dirt that he landed on, he could tell; in fact, it was _freezing_. Opening his eyes, he checked his surroundings.

White—it was nighttime, too.

Link cursed to himself. This sure was a cruel spot for her to send him, of all places: Snowpeak. How in hell was he supposed to get home now? The only logical place he could go to was Yeto's home. Deciding that sitting around in snow was only going to lead him to hypothermia, he made an attempt to stand up. He did just that: he made an _attempt._

Link realized why he had tripped in the first place. Since he was so intent on leaving the mirror chamber, he took little note on exactly _how_ Midna had tripped him.

She had broken his left ankle.

_That witch!_ Link thought to himself. This was not the first time he had called her this name. When he had first met her, he had thought the same thing while stuck in his wolf form in the castle.

Rolling around in an attempt to move toward the tree with the giant ice shards, Link's leg stung each time he made the slightest movement. It was like he had dropped his sword on his leg, and as he moved about, it would go deeper and deeper into his ankle.

Finally reaching the tree, he noticed that there were already a few sled-like ice shards on the ground. Lying down with his back on an ice sled with his legs facing forward, Link gave a small shove with his arms. He slowly sped up until he was moving at a break-neck speed. The bitter-cold air around him was slicing into his skin as the wind rushed pass.

To keep himself from crashing, Link steered and slowed down with his good leg. He decided that there was no rush, so he kept at a steady pace. Since this "sport" wasn't substantially new to him, Link was able to consider his current position, planning out his next actions.

_From here, it's about a fifteen-minute ride down to the mansion. With my broken ankle though, it might take a little longer._ Looking at his leg, Link cursed once more.

_Why in hell would she do something like that? Tripping me seemed cruel enough, yet she fractures it?_ Completely irritated, Link tried to keep his mind on steering. However, his rage was unbearable, and the words that Midna had said kept reappearing in his mind.

_"This is going to be fun—I just know it."_ This phrase particularly irritated him because she was mocking all of Hyrule, meaning she was mocking _him._

_"Goodbye, life of riches and glamour, and hello life of mere peasantry…"_ He just knew that she was talking about him in that phrase. She knew quite well that he was born in a fairly poor village, so she obviously took the liberty in calling them all _peasants._

Wait, why was she regarding this as though she were going to live with him? She wouldn't have said that unless she thought living in Hyrule castle—at least what was left of it—was going to be cheap.

Link shook his head in frustration. She probably meant that she wasn't going to have servants to do all of her bidding because she lost her status of royalty. Yes, that's probably it.

As Link came to this conclusion, he realized just how bad the weather had become. It was snowing now, but it was almost comparable to a blizzard. Slowing the sled down significantly, Link looked for a place for shelter.

_I'm still ten minutes away from the mansion, and this weather will just get me lost._ He spotted a bowl shaped crevice ahead of him, so he brought the sled to a stop near there. Link hobbled into the ice cave, and realized just how small it was. If he stretched out completely, the bottom half of his legs would have stuck out of the cave.

Link rested in a position that would prevent him from leaning on his ankle. Instinctively, Link said, "Blanket," out loud. However, he quickly realized that Midna was not with him.

Shit.

Midna had _all_ of his gear with her. This was going to be a long, cold night.

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Midna was now sitting on the steps that lead to the mirror. She had wiped away her tears with Link's hat and was now looking at Zelda. Zelda had her arms crossed, and looked slightly disturbed by Midna's actions. Resting next to her, Zelda put her hand on Midna's shoulder.

"You know that what you did was wrong."

Midna started crying once more. Her sobs echoed throughout the chamber, and her sniffs came soon after them.

"I… I know that… but what else was I supposed to d-do? I couldn't just g-give him a slap on the wrist…" She hiccupped.

Zelda sighed deeply, taking a moment to think. "Here is a simple question to ask yourself, then. Are you satisfied with what you did?"

Sniffling some more, Midna replied, "N-no…" Why had she done what she did? It continued to cross her mind, and every time it did, she would resume crying again. When she first thought of the idea of breaking his ankle, she thought that he would in fact deserve it. She was never going to be royalty again, which was all that her life ever held for her.

But now that she thought of it, it didn't bother her so much. She had called the light-dwellers hideous, but they actually looked rather normal to her tastes. The things a girl will fling just to win an argument…

"W-what should I do?" Midna sobbed. Zelda's eyes suddenly reverted to their warm state again, and she replied. "I can't make that choice for you. If you felt that he deserved what you did to him, then leave him alone and let him feel your anger." Midna's eyes widened, but Zelda continued. "However, if he is truly important to you, then you will find him and apologize. He won't accept it at first, I'm sure, but it is your only choice."

Midna remained where she sat, while Zelda stood up and looked at the mirror fragments scattered across the ground. "If you feel that you will be needing some work, I would gladly accept you as my personal advisor."

Midna shook her head, and looked up at Zelda. "I am honored by your request, but I have some work to do."

Zelda nodded, and Midna conjured up her powers and created a portal. "This should send you to Hyrule castle—at least, what's left of it." Zelda examined the portal, and took a step towards it. "I hope you make the right choice, Midna, because he is more important to this world than you could ever imagine."

Zelda entered the portal and waved good-bye. Midna smiled, and started thinking as soon as Zelda had disappeared. _If I sent him to Snowpeak, he would have headed toward Yeto's mansion. I guess I should head over there._

As she started her teleportation spell, she suddenly realized something. _Link doesn't have anything to keep himself warm._ Panic-stricken, she hurriedly cast her spell and disappeared.

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Link was now two inches underneath the snow. Hypothermia was kicking in, and his feet were completely numb. _Look at the bright side: at least my ankle doesn't hurt. Heck, if the hypothermia completely kicks in, I'll feel warm._

Sighing to himself, Link just hoped to see the light of day in the morning. That was, if he even wanted to see it. The one thing that he held the most precious was now gone; it would have been smarter to just let her leave, for that way he wouldn't have had bad memories of it. If he had let her leave, it would have been joyous to think back on the days of his adventure—it would have been joyous to think back when he laughed with Midna.

Now, he just closed his eyes and wept.

_Damn, it's not cold anymore._


	4. Cold Soup

Chapter 3—Cold Soup

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The elements permitted Midna to see a mere five feet ahead of her. She wasn't in the least bit cold, however, for her magical barrier that she created kept the snow out, and the heat in. Link's hat, which she was now wearing, was also extremely cozy. She stumbled in the snow still, however, for it was now two feet deep.

_I'll never make it in time at this pace._ Midna finally reached the icicle tree and remembered what Link had done. He made it look fairly simple, so it was worth a try.

Summoning her magic once more, she unloosened the largest shard she could see. Link had ridden his snowboard on his feet, but Midna figured that she would have more stability if she were sitting. Manually steering would also result in her falling multiple times, so she would once more rely on her magic to push the sled left or right.

_If I were still an imp, my barrier would have been depleted in mere minutes. It is so much more convenient in this form._

Midna pushed the sled forward and started the descent to Yeto's manor. She was obviously proficient with her magic because her sled moved much quicker than when Link had gone down—it was also far less jerky.

Taking the moment to think, Midna did some quick calculations in her head. _It took Link around twenty minutes to reach the bottom; with my speed, I'll be there in ten._

As the trees and snow whooshed past, Midna could not erase the image of Link lying down in the snow, shivering so hard that a dog's wagging tail could not keep up. The worst part of it all was his ankle—it was probably so cold that he couldn't even feel it anymore.

She instantly blotted out the image by reminding herself that he was probably at Yeto's place. He would be drinking warm soup by the fire, and his leg would be fine. Midna still cursed at herself—_Break his ankle!? What is wrong with me?_

She began hitting her forehead in the same manner that she would if she was knocking on a door. _I am such an idiot… mischief is my middle name, but that was just heartless._

Midna quickly stopped hitting herself, for the mansion finally came in to view. She ran (at least, as fast as the snow would permit) to the door and pounded on it loudly. Her knuckles were beginning to hurt.

Miniature explosions could be heard from behind the door, each one coming soon after the previous. After an annoyingly long time, the door creaked open: a humongous white Yeti stood before Midna; she felt like an imp all over again.

Yeto scratched his head, taking in Midna's strange appearance. "Who are you?"

Ignoring his question, Midna quickly blurted, "Has Link come by your home recently?" Yeto started itching his chin, eyeing Midna. "How you know the little human? You one of the monsters, uh?"

Shaking her head, Midna replied, "No, I'm not a monster. I'm Link's best friend." _Well, most people would call me a monster; I certainly feel like one after what I did to him… I probably shouldn't even call myself his best friend anymore._

This thought made Midna frightful: What if she had crossed a line of no return? Her actions may have taken away the one thing she was going to need, now that she was in the light realm: A friend.

True, Zelda was going to be on her side, but she would never understand her like Link did. Link _always_ knew if there was something troubling Midna.

She probably couldn't make new friends in Hyrule either. Everyone would flee from her appearance, regardless if the men were somewhat attracted to her. She would be jeered at and mocked by the Hylians, and Link wouldn't be there to stand up for her…

Midna suddenly realized that Yeto had begun talking. "…ink's friend, uh? In that case, come in for soup! It be nice and warm, uh. I'm sure there plenty if Link come soon." He threw his arms in the air to show the size of his cooking pot.

"Wait, Link hasn't come around?" Midna gasped. _There's no time to lose_.

Turning around, Midna made a mad dash back to her sled. Yeto was yelling something, but his words were carried away by the unforgiving storm.

Jumping onto the sled and not bothering to sit down, Midna propelled it _up_ the slope of the mountain. It was significantly slower than a downhill ride, but much faster than running. Screaming at the top of her lungs, Midna started shouting Link's name.

In this weather, however, nothing could be heard from afar. Continuing to shout his name, Midna started looking for places that Link might have use for shelter.

_Please don't leave me… I was stupid… Please forgive me…_

vvvvvvvVvvvvvvv

_My leg doesn't hurt and my whole body feels relaxed and warm; this has to be heaven._ Link's body felt like it was floating. Blissful memories flew through his mind, starting with his childhood. Memories of the first time he got Epona, the time he met Ilia, and the day he herded his first goat.

Link started chuckling. _It's not every day where you look back on your life. This is much better than I was dealing with thirty minutes ago: My best friend yelling at me, my leg broken, freezing in the snow; bah, it's all in the past now. Forget about the past—enjoy the present!_

Link was now in a flowery field, the sun shining brightly above him. Epona was to his left, and Ilia was to his right.

_Ilia is silly. Ha-ha, she's smiling at me. Silly smile. Ooh, and Epona is snorting. Silly horse. Boy, life sure is silly._

Everything was silent around Link—all that could be heard was the soft wind and Link's laughing. The flowers looked pretty to him, so Link started rolling around in them.

_I love flowers. Why don't I roll around in them more often? I'll have to keep that in mind for the future._

Suddenly, out of the sky came an angel. Everything about her was perfect: she was beautiful, her smile gleamed, and her skin was smooth.

Wait, it's just Midna. Waving his arms, Link attempted to shoo her away. _Go away, Midna. You're supposed to be sulking in your corner, remember? Hmm, but Arbiter's Grounds is round; how will you manage that?_

Drawing his sword, Link swung it left and right in the air. Unfortunately, his sword turned out to be a large lollipop. No matter, it would still work to swat her out of the sky. After a few attempts, Link knocked Midna down to the ground, and she was now at his feet.

_Bye Midna!_ Link barked cheerily, and turned away to begin rolling around again.

"Please…" Midna sobbed. Link turned around.

"Don't die on me…" Link looked at himself. No cuts or bruises. He was sure he was still alive.

"Please, wake up!" _I'm pretty sure I'm awake, Midna! Get your facts straight!_ Link started rolling around in the flowers again. He would deal with Midna later. Look at the bright side: at least her tears were watering the grass.

vvvvvvvVvvvvvvv

Midna had pulled Link into her protective barrier and was now holding him in her arms. Her warm tears bounced off of his icy face, which was now covered in frost. His skin was bitter to touch, but Midna didn't care.

The only reason Midna had found Link's hiding place was because of her definition of a cave: she checked every spot that resembled a cave even slightly, and this was one of the few locations that she would have missed had her definition of "cave" been, "a _large_ opening in cliff side."

The tears that relentlessly fell from Midna's eyes did not slow. The spots that they landed on were starting to melt away the frost, but to little extent. Link was still frozen, and Midna was still sitting around.

_I have to get him someplace that can help_. Her mind was thinking intently on Link, so Midna could only think of one location: Ordon Village.

She quickly summoned the blanket that Link was looking for earlier and wrapped him in it. She focused on Ordon Springs, and suddenly disappeared.

_I was stupid… forgive me._


	5. Take Five

Chapter 4—Take Five

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Ordon Spring's warm water splashed into the air as Midna landed in it. Turning off her barrier, she started running at a sluggish pace toward the village.

Link was _heavy_. Even while using her magic to hold him in a bridal style, she could feel her arms come alive. The last time she had done anything physical was… never.

The way Midna held Link reminded her of the time she had broken down Ganondorf's magical wall surrounding Hyrule castle; at least she didn't weigh so much. She guessed that his chain mail weighed roughly 100 pounds, excluding Link's overly heavy shield.

Ignoring her lazy, complaining arms, Midna tried to quicken her pace. _Almost there…_

The night sky yielded to a new moon. In the darkness, Midna had to rely solely on her memory of the village. She stumbled on rocks and roots, but continued forward. As Midna entered the village, none of the lights appeared to be on in any of the homes. She moved toward the pumpkin patch, her arms screaming now.

Finally, she saw the lights on at Rusl's home. Straining for the last of her energy, Midna came to his doorstep and started yelling, panting in-between shouts. "Please… you need to help Link!"

She didn't bother knocking on the door, for the second she finished yelling, Rusl appeared in the doorway. He looked at Midna for a split second, but altered his attention to the blue-skinned Link.

"Oh my god… What happened to him?" Midna tried to sum up her story into a single sentence. "He… I think he went through hypothermia, and his left ankle is fractured."

Rusl's eyes widened. Taking Link into his own arms, he beckoned Midna to come in. "Please try to be a little silent; my wife is sleeping." He set Link down on the bed that was in the room and started to build a fire. Midna sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Rusl fumble with his flint. That would take too long… she focused on the wood and snapped her finger. It burst into flames so large that they licked the top of the fireplace. Rusl's beard got singed, and he turned to face Midna with an expression of awe.

"No time to explain!" Midna growled. Rusl nodded, and set about looking for blankets. Link was already wrapped in his winter blanket, but that was doing little for him. Midna started bundling the blanket that was already on the bed around Link as she waited for Rusl to return. He came back with only one more blanket; she guessed that it was Colin's, who was still in Kakariko.

After wrapping it tightly around Link, Midna remembered something. "His ankle is broken. We should check on that." Rusl pulled Link's boots off gently, and winced when he saw the result. His left foot was bruised blue and purple, and his toes were black. Rusl hurried into his kitchen and brought back a large pot. He filled it with water and set it on a hook next to the fire.

An awkwardly silent minute passed by.

Rusl put his finger in the water and decided it was warm enough. He set Link's feet into the warm water and pulled up two chairs for he and Midna. He sat down, his arms and legs limp; he looked extremely tired. Midna looked down at the wooden floor. "Is… is he going to live? He looked horrible when I first found him…" Rusl shook his head. "I'm not sure. His body is still freezing cold, and his feet are frost bitten. We just have to hope that the blankets are enough to keep his body temperature up. I don't know what is going to happen to his feet, either; they look as though they are going to fall off."

Midna bit her lip. He didn't deserve this. He was just trying to keep his friend from leaving him forever… it was obviously just instinct. It was stupid of her to think that he wouldn't push her out of the way. _Why did you have to jump in the way, Link? You wouldn't be where you are now if you had just…_

Then she realized something. _Was I really that important to him? He would risk everything just so that I would stay here with him?_ Midna blushed. Well, it's not like it was a huge secret. A lot of people could tell that they were closely bonded just by seeing the way they talked to each other.

Rusl, who had put his hand on her shoulder, interrupted Midna in thought. "Don't worry, he's going to be okay. We just have to think positively and hope for the best." Midna nodded, and smiled to him. It was warming to have somebody help her with this huge problem; Link would've been dead were it not for him.

Rusl grinned back and moved towards the doorway to his bedroom. He turned around just as he reached it, and posed a question. "You two are really good friends, eh?"

Midna bobbed her head up and down, and Rusl smiled again. He retreated to his warm bed, and Midna stared at Link. She adjusted his hat that she was wearing; she understood now why he liked it so much: it was soft and warm.

Resting her head against the edge of Link's bed, Midna closed her eyes and dozed off. _He's going to be okay… I know it._

As she drifted into her dreams, Link suddenly mumbled something.

"Go… sulk in your… corner… Mmmidnaaa…"

Author's Notes: I realize that Rusl's home is only one room large! I just found it strange to have Rusl go to sleep in the same room o.O, so I added another room.


	6. Dust Off

Chapter 5—Dust Off

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The flowers were wilting and the weather was turning exceptionally bleak. Link found himself wandering a barren landscape with nobody to talk to—it was beginning to get lonely.

_Well, so much for heaven. Is there even winter in heaven?_ Link sighed to himself. The joyful feelings that rushed through him were completely decimated by thoughts of worry. What happened to his friends? How was the ranch going to do? _Well, I won't be finding out by standing around here._

Link decided to be a bit adventurous, and started venturing areas he had not gone before. The only problem was that every five feet, Link could swear that he saw the same pattern of dead flowers repeat themselves. After what seemed like hours, Link finally stumbled upon a pit that he could not see the bottom to. It was wide enough for him to spread his arms out and barely touch the edges.

Link examined the pit for a few minutes, when he heard a whisper mere inches from his ear. "Why don't you go in? I think you'll find it quite enjoyable."

Link whipped around, and saw Midna behind him. She was in her imp form, and she was grinning curiously. Link scowled at her, and she started chuckling softly. "You're a vengeful one, aren't you? Can't let go of the fact that I did that to you?"

Without warning, Link's left leg made the most disgusting cracking sound, and he fell over in pain. It was the most excruciating thing he had ever felt. Even in his battles, he had not sustained an injury so agonizing.

Link began rolling on the ground, but not because he loved the flowers. He started yelling for mercy. "Please… I don't want to deal with this again!"

Midna was cackling now. "Oh, the hero is finally on his last leg, hm?" Link started cursing at her, and she stopped laughing. "Such language you've picked up! I think it's time for your scolding!"

Midna kicked him in the stomach, and Link was sent toppling. How could such a tiny creature create so much force? Link began coughing out blood, and he was now quaking in fear. Before he even had time to think about what had just happened, Midna reappeared again and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt; she floated above the pit and glared into Link's eyes. "Well, you've enjoyed your time here, so now it's time to pay your debt."

She dropped Link, and he was sent howling into the eternal abyss.

Only one thought crossed Link's mind:

_Is this what it truly feels like to die?_

vvvvvvvVvvvvvvv

Link's eyes opened. He was on the floor, he could tell in the least bit, but where? He groaned; the pain finally reached him. His leg stung, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. His stomach felt horrible too.

Link rolled over and stared at the ceiling. _Am I alive?_ It certainly felt like it; he could feel the air rushing through his lungs and the extreme heat that was surrounding him. It almost felt like he was in the Gerudo Desert in the worst part of the day again. He looked around—he was wrapped in three thick blankets. _Who in their right mind uses three blankets?_

He flailed about until they all came off, and lay sprawled on the floor. Finally out of his prison of softness, Link looked around the room. It was strangely familiar… where had he seen it before? Link hit his head in a "duh" fashion: it was Rusl's place. But what was he doing here? The last place he remembered being was… where _had_ he been? Everything was a blur, and the only thing he could recall was being teleported away by Midna.

_Midna._

Link cursed to himself. That name infuriated him when he thought of it. His dream… Midna had appeared in it, but did it mean something? He understood why she broke his leg, but why did his gut feel so empty?

His stomach growled in response.

_It must have been a while since I've eaten…_ But why would his dream make it seem as though Midna had caused his stomach pain? That was completely irrelevant towards her. Was his body trying to tell him something?

Frustrated, Link tried to sit up on the bed—lying on the floor wasn't exactly normal for him. As he used his arms and good leg to pull himself up, his left foot dragged across the floor. He should have felt the cold wooden floor slide against it, but he felt nothing. Shocked, Link pulled his foot up onto his knee and examined it: the natural skin tone that he had was now replaced by a grotesque blackish-blue.

Link gasped this time; he began poking at it to see if there was a reaction. Nothing.

_Why the hell is my foot like this!?_ In utter rage, Link now dug into the skin with his nails. On top of not feeling anything, he realized that blood did not come out of his scrapes.

_This… this can't be happening._ Link lay down across the bed and was breathing heavily. He tried to calm himself down, and finally after a few minutes, his breathing slowed down. _All right, I need to figure out what I'm going to do._

Link figured that an unresponsive foot was better than his whole leg being dead—at least he could still walk on his foot. That was, however, if he didn't have the broken ankle. He was sure he would have to use some kind of crutch or cane for the while.

_Rusl always had a traveling stick with him; I wonder if it's around here?_ Link scanned the room for a while before spotting a long wooden staff by the door. Relying on his only useful leg again, Link hopped toward it and picked it up. It was sturdy and simple in design: Rusl simply sanded down a branch that he had found one day and oiled it for strength.

Link put his full weight on it to test its firmness, and swore that he could hear it groan when he did. _Almost as old as its owner,_ he chuckled to himself. _If I'm at Rusl's home, I'm nearly two minutes away from my own house._ Link decided he would go there. He turned toward the door, turned the handle, and stepped outside—the sunlight that he was expecting did not blind him. It was fairly dark, but the sun could be seen peeping over the horizon. It was coming from the east, so Link knew that it was dawn.

Link started hobbling down the path toward his home. He avoided letting his ankle touch anything, for the pain he was already in was bad enough.

Link's dream began reappearing in his mind again. He started shivering, trying desperately to erase the images. Why would he have a nightmare such as that? There was no other word to describe it but _scary._ It frightened him to see the way Midna laughed, and the pain that seemed too real when he was kicked. What did this signify? He was angry at Midna, that was for sure, but this had taken a strange turn. At the moment, he didn't want to talk to her or listen to what she had to say. For all he knew, they would never see each other again.

Finally, realization dawned upon Link. The reason his dream had turned out the way it did, and the reason he didn't ever want to talk to Midna again was because of one reason: fear. He was afraid to hear what she had to say, and his mind was trying to tell him that while he had been sleeping.

Midna was his closest friend, yet the whole friendship ended brutally: she resorted to breaking his leg! How could he _not_ be afraid of talking to her again? She could rip his heart out for all he knew…

Link had put all of his trust into a person, and now this was the way he was treated? He didn't want to face it; it wasn't worth it. He didn't even know if he would dare get so close to a person ever again. The consequences were endless!

_I don't want to deal with that again… it hurts too much, to see someone go like that._ Tears started to well up in Link's eyes, but they were pushed away by the anger that followed. It wasn't fair how he had been treated—in fact, he didn't deserve it in the least bit. Link reminded himself that he was never going to see her again, and that brought some satisfaction to him.

_I should have let you die that day, Midna._

He didn't regret thinking those words; even though saying that you wanted somebody dead was a powerful expression, he meant every bit of it. Link chuckled to himself as he reached his ladder and awkwardly began climbing it with only one leg.

vvvvvvvVvvvvvvv

Midna had awoken _very_ early in the morning, but she wasn't completely sure why. Link was looking significantly better, although his foot made her turn away. _We'll just have to sort that out when he wakes up._

Unable to fall back asleep, Midna decided that she would just have to find something to do. She crept across the room to check on Rusl and his wife—they were both sound asleep. Midna grinned at their peaceful expressions and left the room. She summoned a cloak that Link wore in the harsher weather and wrapped herself in it.

Midna opened the front door and was careful not to make any noise. As she exited the home, the cold wind brushed across her face. _Thank the goddesses for inventing cloaks_.

She stood at the doorway for a minute, stretching and yawning. What was she going to do this early in the morning? Her mind wandered to Link's house, and she realized that she had never been inside of it. Curiosity taking over, Midna began walking toward his home. _It'll be interesting to see how he left it when he began his journey._

Midna imagined that it would be in a fairly messy state; she visualized that there would be clothes all over the floor and dishes left unwashed.

As Link's house came in to view, she awed at how it was the only house built into a tree. It was far more unique than the other villager's dwellings, which resembled tree stumps in her opinion.

Rather than climb the ladder, Midna let her magic lift her up to the door. _Thank the goddesses for our magic, too._ She smirked, and then turned the door handle. As the inside of the home came in to view, it was more than baffling to her. The ceiling went far higher than any other house she had seen. Equipment that Link used for herding were scattered across the wall, varying from whips to spurs and to a spare saddle that was spread out across a table. A fireplace sat in the edge of the room, next to a cooking range with utensils dangling above it. Midna took a deep breath; overall, Link's house had an inviting feeling to it. Just by looking at it, anybody could tell that a laid back individual lived here.

She was astonished, however, by the fact that everything was already tidy. No clothes lying around and no dirty dishes!

Midna pulled off her cloak and hung it on a hat hanger that was next to the door. She sat down in a stool next to the dining table and continued to look around. There were pictures of goats and Epona all over the place, with one picture of Link himself and another of Fado. Did Link like to paint, or did another friend make these for him?

Judging by the amount of goat pictures, she guessed that Link made them. _Wow, quite talented._ Midna used her magic again to reach the second level, which was more like a balcony. There was a working desk with several books all over it, and a parchment with a quill set to the side.

_I seem to be learning quite a bit today; Link likes to paint _and_ read._ For some reason, this didn't come as a surprise to her. She figured that he spent a lot of free time in the fields, probably reading a book or drawing another goat.

Midna rose to the highest level of Link's house, where his bed lay. It was a single person bed, and was next to the window where you would easily wake up from the morning sunshine. Midna frowned at where he had put it, however. With his bad ankle, he would never be able to reach the third floor. She lifted the bed up with her magic and set it down softly on the first floor. _There, much more convenient_.

Midna came down to the main floor and sat down on the stool again. She sighed, before abruptly coughing. _My goodness, it's dusty in here!_ Midna slid her finger across the table and was amazed by the dust that was gathered on it. _It's been months since he's been here, so I would imagine it to be this dirty._

To her luck, she found a feather duster on a nearby bookshelf. Midna chuckled at the thought of seeing Link dusting his house; guys would never admit to doing stuff like that. She picked up the duster and decided that dusting would be a perfect time killer. With her ability to reach places Link probably couldn't, his house would look brand new.

_Besides, I've never even dusted in all my life! This will be fun._ She recalled how her maids had dusted her room, and she observed how they always started from the top of everything, such as bookshelves, and worked downwards. She started from the third floor and swept his windowsill. It was pure joy for her to see the dust magically disappear when she passed over it.

The dark morning wore on as Midna worked; she was enjoying every second of it, regardless of the fact that this was a common chore for housewives. _I'm never hiring a servant again! Why would anyone want to pay somebody to do something that is so fun?_

As Midna started dusting another bookshelf, she heard loud stomps outside of the door. Was someone climbing the ladder? Each step was moving too slow, though. If somebody were climbing the ladder, they would be moving quicker than _that._

Midna put her feather duster down and headed for the door. The stomping was gone now. As she reached for the handle, it turned by itself. She backed away, and saw the door open.

Link stood at the doorway, gritting his teeth.

"What the _hell_ are you doing in my house?"


	7. Risk Taker

Chapter 6—Risk Taker

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Upon seeing Midna, Link's initial response was to be angry. This woman had broken his leg! She didn't deserve to be treated with kindness—not from him.

However, despite these thoughts flowing through almost every fiber of his being, there was a portion that asked a simple question: can't we forgive her? Link cringed at the thought; it didn't seem like a logical thing to do. Yet, in all ways, it was the _right_ thing to do.

When someone such as Midna is put in a bad temper, it is only expected that her actions would be so rash. After knowing her for so long, Link all but knew that she was one for revenge.

Regardless of the fact that it was the correct choice to forgive her and live his happy life, Link was haltered in his decision by something he was well-known for looking straight in the eye: fear.

The largest, most ruthless monsters have snarled at the green-garbed hero, but not once did he turn away. Physical torture and images of death did not hamper Link's determination; the brute forces of evil could not stand in his way.

It was not these things that grabbed his legs and tripped him; it was not Ganondorf who had stopped him from breathing. No, the evils of the world stood no chance. There was only one thing that forced Link to his knees: love.

But what is there of love to fear? Love fills the saddest of people with joy, making the poorest of people to feel rich. It is a generous gift to that of man.

But everything so useful to life has a high cost.

The love to another, friend or family, is a powerful one. What happens, then, when it is lost? Many people require both legs to stand; if one is lost, they will fall. When the base of life stands upon friendship, what happens to everything it holds when it collapses?

Truly, love is an expensive necessity of life. The prices and risks are so high that Link did not know if he was willing to pay. He had already experienced a sample of love's cruel powers.

Out of love, Link stopped a friend from leaving; it was also love that broke his leg and filled the air with hateful words. It was not this that was the most painful, however. The pain was that of excruciation; to invest so much time and affection upon one person and then lose it all in one night, that is the damage inflicted. And so, Link was posed with a question: though it is the just choice to forgive, is it the _smart_ choice to invest in the one that caused so much dread? It is the question that he fears to face.

Link had already pondered this subject earlier, but he didn't look into it with so much depth as he did now. What was the choice to make? He had been faced with many spur-of-the-moment times when he had to make one of two decisions, but this one seemed far more urgent.

Finally returning his attention back to the present, Link stared at Midna. It was only the second time he had seen her in her original form, and the only word that Link could use to describe her with was… incredible. Maybe she looked a little creepy to some, but for him, it was bewildering.

Shaking his head, Link ignored his eyes; now was not the time to be sight seeing. He had to make a choice, and it had to be now.

vvvvvvvVvvvvvvv

Midna stood silently in front of Link, whom was equal in noise level. When she was at a loss for words when he asked her what she was doing at his house, she simply stared at the floor. She expected Link to say something in response, but he did not; he looked as though he were in deep thought.

Was he preparing to say something? If so, what was it going to be? Midna squirmed under the pressure. She was already feeling dreadful for what she'd done to him, and she was fully prepared to apologize to him, yet now she had to deal with the intense silence? She sighed.

_It's all worth it, and I know it will all work out in the end. I just can't stand long silences._ During their adventure, Midna could never stay quiet for longer than five minutes. She often wondered if she drove Link insane during their time together, but he never seemed to be bothered. So, the real question was whether or not she drove _other_ people mad.

That was, if there was anybody _to_ annoy. Midna had never been good at making friends, as many people took her sarcastic comments literally. Also, as royalty, everyone that ever tried to get close to her were power hungry nobles. In the end, Midna just learned to ignore everyone and live a solitary life.

That was before she met Link.

She continued with her guidelines of loneliness when she first met him, although she let him in on a few details about the Twilight, but nothing personal. However, as time progressed, she realized that Link didn't even _know_ that she was royalty, meaning he looked at her as the true Midna. He wasn't going to stab her in the back to steal her position of power or act like she was made of gold. This suddenly caused her to open up to him. Naturally, she was still cautious about talking to him: she started with small talk, commenting on him as they went through the temples. Thankfully, Link was excessively friendly, and he accepted the invitation to talk. Despite the fact that she was particularly rude to him at first, he seemed to shrug it off.

Their chitchats remained brief for the first half of the adventure; after Link and Zelda had saved Midna's life, however, she looked at life from a whole new perspective. She felt like everything that had happened before that event was utterly pointless and dull. Before, people would protect her and do what she told them to because they _had_ to. Now, though, there were two individuals who did it because they cared.

It was different than being followed around by your own personal bodyguard. No, this was far from that. The feeling that someone helped you because they _wanted_ to was incredibly… heart warming. Not only that, but the urge to help them and repay a non-existent debt also felt just as good.

It was unlike that of a hole that needed to be filled, and you would feel great pain if you did not. Rather, helping them when _they_ were in a time of need almost felt like it was second nature.

And so, Midna felt that she could put as much trust as she felt necessary into Link's hands. Anyone that saved her life deserved no less. In just a few days' time, she began starting elaborate conversations with him, and they went over any topic that went through their minds. The need to say "penny for your thoughts" was lost, for everything that _was_ on their mind was already revealed.

Interestingly enough, Link loved every second of their conversations. He laughed and thought hard about the questions that she would sometimes ask. He took everything that she said to heart, as though they were precious. It made her feel as though someone actually wanted to be with her, to be her friend.

It was strange for her to think back on. How could one small event cause her to change the outlook of her _entire_ life? How did she create such a close friend, when she herself did nothing? In all actuality, it was _him_ who changed everything. Were it not for his stubbornness to give up on her, they would not have joked the way they did. In fact, she would not be here at all were it not for him.

So, in that case, would it also not be obvious that there was no point in being in this world without him? It was not the entire world that had brought her here—it was one man. If he disappeared, there was absolutely no reason to be here anymore.

Midna shivered. It was a dreadful realization, and gave her a mixed reaction. For one, it made her realize just how important Link was to her. Not only for her survival, but most likely her sanity! The thought also gave her a spark of determination. If he was such a key element in her life, it was all the more reason to regain his trust.

_How had Link done it? When someone you don't even know spits in your face, you would never want to speak to them again, right? Yet… he continued to talk to me._

It was a determination that she could most likely never compare to. Even now, the person that she actually _knew_ was starting to lose his grasp on her, yet she was having troubles; Link had done the same with someone he didn't know.

While it was an attribute of human quality she could never fully attain, she could come very close to it. In her adventures with Link, Midna had learned the importance of honor and trust. She learned that you needed friends to live and prosper in life. It was a necessity to build upon their support, all the while helping them out at the same time.

Midna sighed in approval. _I have learned much._

At that moment, she realized that Link had looked at her. Her heart skipped, her body tensing. This was the moment of truth; what he said now was going to be important.

Gripping onto her courage, Midna braced herself.

vvvvvvvVvvvvvvv

It was now or never! What in the world was he supposed to think? The surge of thoughts flooded his mind, clouding his judgment. What was just, what was logic, what was _reason_? He didn't know anymore; he didn't know what he would_ normally_ do in that situation.

_I don't want it anymore… the pain, the betrayal..._

All he ever fought for was his friends and their loyalty, but a thought filled him up: what if they all do the same?

_No… I can't allow that. Never, I won't let them take away my sanity. I am my own person…_

And so, he decided.

_Nobody will ever influence my life again. I live a life of solitude._

There was no reasoning.


	8. Quarters

Chapter 7—Quarters

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

Why?

Such a simple question to ask, not to mention how overused it is. How come people would dare say one word and expect a lengthy explanation from someone in return? Life isn't a slot machine, after all.

But like a slot machine, you have the possibility of getting nothing after contributing a portion of your funds. Maybe you should keep inserting more coins? Surely you'll win this time. And so, you go for attempt two. Sooner or later, you're at attempt twenty.

Oh dear, you're out of money? I guess you should give up now…

No? There's more in the bank? In that case, there's no chance for failure now. Keep trying, and you'll get what you want; that's how everything works, right?

So, the coins continue to flutter through the mechanism, a homeless man at a buffet. Some time passes, and you are for some reason penniless. What in the world brought you to this? A million to one chances, and a million quarters; what happened? The numbers add up, so why didn't what was _supposed_ to happen occur?

The truth is, things that are supposed to happen and events that were destined to be do not always be.

In life, you have to take risks. Your happiness may depend upon it, your life, even. Sometimes, though, a risk is unavoidable. In that case, it's not even a risk anymore; it's fate. You couldn't do anything about it, nobody else could, so dry up your tears already. Move on, enjoy life—find an alternative. Life has plenty of opportunities.

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

Looking up at the sky, Midna dried her tears that were simply replaced. Events can occur so quickly that you don't even remember what happened; a vague memory, at most.

For Midna though, she was not so fortunate. She wished she could say, "What just happened?" and pretend not to remember, but this was etched into her skull.

The words had been spoken, the doorway sealed—the key was nowhere to be seen. Midna had looked for the key, but it was as though it didn't even exist anyway. Hopeless, reasonless, _pointless_.

_Do not return here again; I don't want to see your face, hear your voice, or think of you. You are a bad memory, the past to be forgotten._

Definitely not what was supposed to happen. The reassuring thoughts of before now seemed like a fairly large waste of time.

That was more than a bad memory. It was a constant nightmare to remind you who you were; that twilight and light in fact don't belong with the other. With light, darkness is turned to shadow. With darkness, the sun turns to the moon.

It doesn't mix.

It was a slap in the face for Midna, but she somewhat understood. Wasn't it that exact same reason why she wanted to destroy the mirror in the first place? Of course.

With the words spoken, the doorway sealed and the path lay out, the options were obvious. Trying to do anything otherwise was crazy, reckless and downright _stupid_.

Now, Midna was simply standing in front of a slot machine. Its jackpot was higher than that of any before…

And she didn't have a single quarter.

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV


	9. The Wind

Chapter 8—The Wind

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

The endless pit below was ever-so inviting. A soft, cool breeze, a moment of weightlessness, and suddenly… nothing. A wonderful way to let it all end… so relaxing, easing away the pains that ached her whole body.

She sat upon the simple wood and rope bridge that connected Ordon to Faron woods. The wind chilled the skin, even in the exceptional weather of the moment. The sun was in its high point, the birds sang to the world and everyone around was joyful. Why not be gleeful? The evil had been rid of and the light had returned.

Someone must suffer; that is why.

Never is there a time when the world is content. For one to enjoy life, one will lose. A pray for rain exists in the desert, yet it is the forest that steals the clouds. So fickle, ever-changing; never is one constantly pleased. The presence of joy will move on, returning to the original possessor frequently.

But it will not remain.

Staring into the endless chasm below, Midna was engulfed by its beauty. It offered freedom—a carefree life. Not a worry in the world, the past forever forgotten. Shift your weight forward and the gift is yours. The birds around you join your descent, flying about.

Freedom.

_The gift of freedom… falling forever…away from the world…_

Why not?

The world offers many things to live for. A family that awaits your return daily, a friend who fights by your side, a home to protect you, and a land to cherish. The gift of life gives reason to use the gift appropriately and, ultimately, ideally. One will become a god of his or her own paradise when life's gift is used to its full extent. Most will taste it, others getting more than anyone else.

Others will lose it.

Death is a horrible thing for those with purpose. Life makes you smile and look forward to the next day. However, if you do not use its gift correctly, a hell will consume the soul.

Midna had no family; a land once cherished was forever lost, a home no longer defended her, and overall, a friend did not stand by her.

She was alone. A foreign land despised her presence, a people that sneered at her.

No acceptance.

No safety.

No home. Nowhere to go; nowhere to return to.

Except one—the chasm.

Death only offers one thing: an end. It is made of gold through the eyes of the damned. For everything to stop, the heart finally able to rest, the eyes to droop and never open again. Eternal relaxation. It will feel good; join the others, won't you? Death accepts everyone who is willing. Are you willing to let it all go?

Remember: freedom.

Midna shed a tear as she smiled.

_I am willing._

The rush of wind.

It ended too quickly.


	10. Bright Side

Chapter 9—Bright Side

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

This wasn't hell. It wasn't heaven either.

_Bear in mind I've been to heaven; wasn't any fun at all._

Reluctant to open her eyes, Midna simply lay on her back and enjoyed the warmth that surrounded her. Perhaps it was an even better version of heaven? She wasn't sure that was even possible. Maybe she was actually dead, and people just misinterpreted that hell was a bad place to go. Besides, a person such as herself probably didn't deserve to go to a heaven filled with light-dwellers—she probably wouldn't fit in anyways.

_Maybe I have to open my eyes to find out._

Did she want to find out? Perhaps she would be at eternal peace if she just kept her eyes closed, ignoring the world around her. But just _one_ peek wouldn't hurt.

Midna opened her eyes. Next to her, Rusl's eyes stared at her while he was seated in a stool.

"Good morning." He said as he smiled softly.

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

Rusl knocked on the tree house's door and shivered under his cloak. To his surprise, the door opened almost immediately after he had knocked on it. Before him, Link stood without saying anything, so Rusl took the initiative.

"Well, good-morning to you, hero! How's my boy faring this chilly morning?" Link seemed to glance at the sky slightly, as though he actually _did_ care how the weather was. Grunting as a way to say, "Sure", Link stood unfazed by the arrival of his old friend. Not sure what else to say, Rusl scratched the back of his head. "So… are you going to invite me in?"

Continuing with his silent behavior, Link simply moved aside to let Rusl past. Hanging his cloak on a nearby coat hanger, Rusl grabbed a stool from the dining table and sat on it. Link closed the door so slowly that every squeal it made was distinct until it clicked shut. Even with his friend seated, Link stood staring at the door, a good twenty feet away from Rusl. Rusl scratched his head again.

_Either the wood on that door is absolutely stunning, or something is wrong with Link._

Desperate to hear him say _something_, Rusl heated up another conversation. "Well, I'm sure you've got a lot of stories to tell the other villagers. People back in Castle Town have been coming up with some far-fetched tales, and I honestly wouldn't deny a single one of them."

Link didn't look away from the door, but Rusl was delighted to discover that Link had a voice box. "I guess you could call them somewhat 'far-fetched'."

Rusl fumbled with his thumbs; a long silence followed. Rusl was half-expecting his ears to go insane—Link was always one to contemplate things quietly, but such as then was almost blasphemy.

"Is there something on your mind, Link?" Rusl was definitely worried. For an instant, Rusl believe that Link had glanced in his direction, but set it aside as his imagination. Ready to give up, Rusl prepared to let out a large sigh. As soon as he began it, Link interrupted.

"I always believe that 'kicking someone out the door' was only a figure of speech." Rusl raised an eyebrow in confusion. It _is_ a figure a speech, isn't it? "To be honest, doing it literally is almost strange. I didn't expect so much screaming and pleading."

_Literally? What in the world is he talking about?_

"Link, you have to fill me in on some details. Whom did you throw out?" Rusl leaned forward. "And why was your friend pleading?"

"_She's not my friend._" Link snarled almost immediately.

_A she… is he talking about the stranger?_

Standing up, Rusl leaned against the table. Eyeing him suspiciously, Rusl noted that Link was deliberately avoiding eye contact. Rusl finally released his sigh. "You know Link, the way you're acting is more than childish."

Link finally turned to face him.

His eyes looked bloodshot even from a distance, but that was not all. They spoke of something… an unforgivable sin—they spoke of murder. Link clenched his teeth in rage, glaring at his friend before him. "Childish? You say that I act _childish_?" He took a step toward Rusl. "Is the lone wolf of the pack _childish_? I think otherwise; I'll tell you what he is: he is cunning."

Rusl frowned. "Link, I didn't say anything related to a lone wolf. All I'm saying is…" A madman was upon him.

Link had run across the room and grabbed Rusl by the collar of his shirt, virtually choking him. Rusl gasped in shock and for a need of air. "Do you want to know why he's cunning? Do you?" Link's voice trembled in malice. "He is cunning because he takes an audacious risk that no one dares take: to be lone. He protects only himself, and most of all he trusts no one." Now a mere two inches from Rusl's face, Link was almost screaming. "_He trusts no one_! He knows that your allies and companions will take your trust and friendship and slice your neck with its cruelty."

Link shoved Rusl onto the floor, with the older of the two whimpering in pain. Growling, Link glared at his friend. "Everyone will die with at least one betrayal; some will just get it worse than others."

Coughing from the grasp that Link had had on his neck, Rusl stared wide eyed at his dear friend. "Link, what has happened to you? You are not the child I once knew… Don't you know who I am? I have known you for all your life; I have raised you, sheltered you…" Rusl finally caught his breath. "Link, you are like a _son_ to me."

Link's malevolent stare did not waver. "Such a shame; I hardly think of you as a father."

Rusl turned to ice. The harshest of words to say to a father, even if he was not his true patriarch. Did he truly mean such words? Could a man be so vengeful? Rusl didn't know.

Slowly lifting himself up, he took one final look at Link. "I don't know what has occurred on your journeys, but let me give you a single advice, should you wish to heed it. While a loss is the sharpest knife to the back, a friend is not more than a set of stitches: even the deepest of cuts can be mended."

He turned and grabbed his cloak, heading out the door. Link's bloodshot eyes remained, filling themselves up with tears to see a father go. But the lone wolf was exactly that: alone.

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

Staggering down the ladder, Rusl hardly knew where he was going. His footsteps had no rhythm, and his face was gaunt. Where did he go now? He could not look his wife in the face after that. But if not home, where else? There was only one other path: to the bridge. But the bridge only led to the forest; what would transpire there?

_We'll see… some alone time would be good._

Gradually, Rusl pushed his legs to continue their erratic walk toward the forest. Yes, the forest was an excellent place to go. The soft breeze that rustled through the leaves and the singing birds would help clear his mind. It was difficult to comprehend what had occurred; it was almost as though he could set the whole event aside as his imagination. But Rusl knew that it was reality. His closest friend had just thrown him out the door with little hesitation, and it was a hard fact to face.

However, Rusl knew Link. The actions of his friend were not only strange for him, but also strange for anyone else at all. If this was the case, what was his motive? He spoke of a lone wolf… what did it signify? Such maniacal behavior could not happen for no reason. There _had_ to be a reason behind it all.

_I have no idea what to think right now._

Knowing that, he finally decided that silence in the forest truly was the answer. Peace, quiet and a moment of thought would clear everything up.

Reaching the bridge to the forest, Rusl began walking on its rickety surface. Rather than watch his step to avoid falling, however, Rusl stopped in his tracks instantly. What was that sitting on the edge? A black-cloaked figure…

_It's the woman!_ Rusl realized. But what business did she have here? Walking up from behind, Rusl silently watched her. She was whispering something, but the sounds were carried away by the wind.

Not sure what to do, Rusl raised his voice to call out to her. Just as he did, she lurched forward and toward the chasm below.

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvV

"So, you are sitting where you are now because of yours truly." Rusl gave a half-hearted smile. Midna stared at her hands and her eyes saddened. "So you have seen him in the state that he is in…" Rusl crossed his arms and slowly nodded. "Indeed, I have. It is not like him to behave in such a manner." He paused. "It is not like _anyone_ to act like that.

"However," Rusl leaned forward and gazed at the princess before him. "That does not answer the more important question: What in the world were you _thinking_ on that bridge?"

Midna winced at his words. Even after being saved from certain death, a part of her still hungered for peace and eternal rest. It still told her of the freedom that she would attain from the wind that would brush across her face. But, a larger, more dominant part was telling her to resist. It told her of the future and what it could hold, that being saved was in fact a _sign_ for her to continue moving forward, regardless of what happened. Were those notions true?

"I'm not sure I could give anyone an exact reason." Midna bit her lip. "I can tell you this, however. I feel as though my reasoning was confusing." Rusl raised an eyebrow. "Confusing is an odd choice of word." Midna finally looked up and met Rusl's eyes. What she saw was surprising, however. They showed something… were they showing _concern_? "I felt as though my judgment was clouded by, as afore said, confusion. It were as if nothing had meaning to me; all that existed was the chasm and myself…" Suddenly realizing what she had just said, Midna instantly stopped her speech. Of all the people in the world, if anyone, why was she telling him of her mental instabilities? She didn't even _know_ him.

Almost as a response, Rusl put his hand on her shoulder. "Friend, I have gone through the same experience as you." Midna noticed that his eyes were beginning to water. "He is your friend, and a dear one at that; I can tell. But you must never lose your hope of the future. It holds many things for even those who have fallen. I know it must be difficult for you, but _hold on_…" Rusl wiped his eyes. "Just keep holding on."

A small flame began burning inside of Midna. In a place frozen over with ice, the warmth it provided was extraordinary. What was this feeling? She had to know. "Rusl…" Saying his name welled her eyes up with tears. "Why do you insist on helping me? I have done nothing for you in return." For the first time since she had seen him, Rusl smiled out of joy. "Friend, a family member of Link is a family member of mine."

He had said it. The flame that had appeared was now a bonfire, with almost all the ice melted away. Rusl had offered her a simple gift that was the most precious to her: to be her friend.

Wiping her tears away, Midna attempted to smile. "You are just like him; you give me something that I have never had before, yet I have always needed." Finally getting the smile in its proper position, Midna leaned forward and hugged Rusl. "Thank you."

Not substantially sure what had just happened, Rusl hesitantly patted Midna on the back lightly. This person had just lost the only person that had cared about her… _Link, you need this person by your side more than ever_, Rusl thought. Releasing Rusl from her grasp, Midna felt slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry…" Cutting her off, Rusl stood up. "Think nothing of it; we all need attention sometimes."

Turning around, Rusl walked into his kitchen and grabbed a kettle and set about to boiling some water. "Do you mind if I ask one question?" Midna nodded. "You know my name as though you have known me forever. How is that?"

Midna stood up and stretched. "Link wouldn't shut up about you; he always had a story to tell when it came to you." Rusl chuckled as he set the kettle on a hook over the fireplace. "I guessed as much."

Walking back towards her, Rusl stood before Midna and smiled. "You have lost a dear friend, and I will be by your side until you can regain it." Holding out his hand, Rusl offered it to Midna, a symbol of trust. Smiling, she took his hand and shook it warmly.

"So," Rusl said as he walked back toward his kettle. "You know my name, but what do they call you?"

Midna sat down in a chair and sighed. If Rusl told her that the future was going to be okay, then she was fine with that. "My name is Midna."

VvvvvvvVvvvvvvvV

Link lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling with a cold stare.

_I have thrown my own father out the door…_

What more did he have to do to attain true peace? Was he doing the right thing? He had thought he would feel good about what he had done, but an emptiness engulfed Link's stomach. That was an understatement, however.

It was more painful than losing a friend—the pain was that of _throwing_ a friend out. To do so on purpose was even worse than before.

_What have I done to deserve this?_ Link squirmed on the floor from the pain. He had already come this far, so why stop?

_Yes… Why stop when I'm so close?_

A tiny fragment of Link that still bore sanity and the ability to trust people asked, "So close to what, though? What goal are you reaching by doing this?" The thought was blotted out by the dominant force of his consciousness, and Link never heard it. For all he knew, he was close to _something_.


End file.
